Aloes



Hl` A. A LDBN. HAY RIGKVING DEVLGBL Patented sept. 18, 1888.

Erre-n 1 dramas HORACE A.: Annan, or rEoarA, ILLINOIS, Assn-moa Torun AoME HAY HARVESTER ooMrANY, or SAME rnAoE.

,HAYERICKHNG lDEVlCE.

SPECIFICATION formingrpart or Letterslaterlt No. 389.537?. Ried eptembef 18. 1839- Application filed April 23, 188i?- .To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, HORACE A. ALBEN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Peoria, in thecounty' of Ieoria, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IIay-Bicking Devices, of which I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to thev accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My. present invention has relation more particularly to that class vof hay ricking or stacking devices in which the hay is elevatedfrom the ground by means of a broad fork orplatform mounted upon the outer ends of arms adapted to swinglupward and raise the hay to sufiicient height to form a rick orstack.

In the building of stacks or nicks it is frequently desirable to carry the same to anunusual height; and one of the objects of my present invention is to provide improved lmeans whereby the rear ends of the swingihg arms that carry the elevatingplatform mayv be vertically adjusted so as to enable the platform to he swung to.f greater height, and cou sequently to deliver its load to the top of a higher rick. q

A further object of my invention is to provide the winding-drum of a lifting-ropewith improved mechanism whereby the backward movement of this ropc and the position of the platform can be controlled'independently of the draft-horse, and in' such manner as to avoid the necessity of hacking the horse in order to permit the platform to be gradually lowered to the ground.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the various novel features of construction hereinafter described, illustrated in thesame. Fig. 4 is a view, partly in plan and partly in cross-section, showing the windingdrum and brake mechanism. Fig. 5is an enlargcd detail perspective view of a portion of the hralre-leverand the means for locking the same in position.

In the form of rickin'g device to which my' invention is shown as applied, A designates the front posh-and A and A .designate the rear posts or standards of the rieker, these posts being mounted in any suitable orusual manner upon cross-bars that are .sustained upon the runners A3, that rest upon theground. A The rear posts or standards, A and A'Qare shown as converging at their top andasconnect'edwith a longitudinal beam,- B, that extendsin forward and. downward direction to the. front post, A, and at lthe front and rearv ends of this beam B are sustained the pulleys b and b', over which passes the liftingrope C, that is wound upon the small portion d'of the :winding drum or pulley D, this pulley being mounted upon a Ashaft or axle suitably 'sustained in any well-known or convenient mannerv upon cross-beams at the rear end'of the ricker. Over the larger portion, d', ofthe winding drum or pulley passes the draft-rope E, that is wound in a reverse direction from the liftingrope, and to thefree endof which will be hitched a draft-horseor lifting the'loaded' platform.y

The elevatingplatform F4 may be of any well-known or suitable constructomand Vis sustained upon the outerends of the swinging arms G and G in the usual manner, the inner ends ofthese arms vbeing pivotally mounted, so as to permit the platform to swing up and over vthe top of therieker-,frama in order to deliver its load upon the stack being formed at the rear side thereof. Instead, however, of eonnectingthe rear ends of the swinging arms- G G to fixed pivots or journals, as has been heretofore the practice, I have provided means whereby the rear ends of these arms` can be vertically adjusted,n in order to permit the platform to be swung toa greater heightv when desired for'building stacks of unusual height. The means whicliI prefer to employ for effecting the vertical adjustment of the rear ends of the swinging arms that carry the elevating` platform consist of journal-blocks I'I, that are adjustably mounted-upon vertical brackets or IOO ' been thus adj usted it is obvious that the swingf plates I, these -blocks being preferably provided with the lips or flanges lz, that serve to hold the blocks in a manner free to siide upon the brackets, and I prefer to form the blocks 'l-I with thejournals or proj ections h', whereon the rear ends of the swinging arms G and G' will be mounted. It will thus be seen that as the position of thejournal-blocks II is shifted upon the brackets I the pivotpoints of the swinging arms will be correspondingly changed.

In order to permit the jonrnatblocks H to be set at any desired position upon the brackets I, I prefer to form the journals It' of these blocks hollow, so as to receive a pin or catch, K, and a suitable spring, k, one end of which hears upon the outer portion of the journals 71, while its opposite end engages witha suitable lug or stud on the pin or catch II, and tends to force this pin normally inward, so as to cause it to engage with pin-holes i, formed at suitable intervals upon the bracket-plate I and in order to permit the pin or catch K to be withdrawn from engagement with the bracket-plate when the journal-block is to be shifted I prefer to provide the outer end of this pin with a handle, I', having its curved end eceentrically pivoted to said pin, so that when the handle is lifted it will bear against the outer end of the journal h' and cause the pin or catch K to be withdrawn from engagement with the bracket-plate I.

From the construction as thus far defined it it will be seen that when rieks or stacks of the usual height are to be built the position ofthe journal-blocks H will be at or near the lower ends of the bracket-plates I If, however, it is desired to build a stack of unusual height, thejournal-blocks H will be moved upward to the desired extent upon the bracket-plates I, and there held by the engagement of the pins or catches K with the 'holes of the bracketv plate, and when the journal-blocks H have ing arms G and G' will carry the platformand its load to a correspondingly greater height.

It is obvious that the precise mechanism above described for effecting an adjustment of the rear ends ot' the swinging arms can be va ried within wide limits withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention; and it will also be 'understood that the ihvention can be employed in connection with any suitable construction of ricking device. I prefer to form the bracketplates I with the standards t", which not only serve as a convenient means for holting the bracketplates to the sides of the rear standards of the ricker, but also bring these plates into true vertical position to permit free sliding movement of the journal-blocks thereon.

In order to cnaLle the backward movement of the winding-drum and the consequent low-- eringof the elevating-platform to be controlled independent of the movements of the drafthorse, I have provided such drum with suitable brake mechanism, the preferred construetion of which will be next described.

Upon the shaft or journal of the windingdrum, and suitably connected to move in unison therewith, is mounted the friction wheel or drum L, over which passes a suitable frie tiOnstrap, L', preferably of sheet metal, one end of this strapbeing connected to a shaft, M, whereon is sustained the brake-lever N, and the opposite end of this friction-strap being attached to the lever by means of a suitable pin, m, projecting therefrom at a distance above its fulcrum.

The brake-lever N is preferably of elbow shape, und carries at its upper end a weight, P, through which the short arln of the lever passes, and which is adj ustably held upon the lever by a set-screw, p. A guard plate or keeper, It, suitably bolted'to the standard A', is preferably employed to prevent the lateral movement of the lever N. Upon one side of the lever N is formed a tooth or lug, n, with which engages a pawl, S, this pawl being preferably mounted in a manner free to slide within a casing, S', that is bolted to the standard A', and is forced normally inyoutward direction to engage with the tooth or lug nl by the coiled spring a, held within the casing and bearing upon the rea-r end of the pawl.

In order to permit the pawl S tobe with,- drawn from engagement with the tooth or lug n of the brake-lever, I prefer to provide the trip-arm'T, thaty is pivotally mounted, as at t, upon a iiange, s', of the casing, the inner end of this trip-arm passing through the slot s2 of the casing and engaging with a notch formed in the pawl S, while the outer end of this arm projects from the standard into the path of the swinging arm G and in such position that it will be struck by the swinging arm G when it has about reached the limit ofits upward movement.

From the construction of parts as above defined the operation of this part of my invention will be seen to be as follows: When the loaded platform is raised by the forward movement ofthe draft-horse and consequent winding ofthe lifting-rope, the swinging arm G will about the end of its upward movement strike the outer end ofthe trip-arm T and will cause this arm to force backward the pawl S, so as to withdraw this pawl from engagement with the tooth n of the brake-lever and .to permit this lever to fall to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the brakellcver is in this position, it is obvious that the weight I upon this lever will tend -to tightly bind the fric' tion-strap upon the periplgcry of the friction wheel or drum, and will thus arrest the back ward movement of the drum and the down ward movement of the elevatingplatform, and this, too, independently of the movement of the drafthorse, thus allowing the horse to return without backing as speedily as desired to the proper position to lift the next succeeding load. The backward movement of the winding-drum and the downward movement of the elevating-platform can be controlled by the operator from his position on the horse or on the ground by simply raising or lowering the IOO weighted end ofthe brake-'leveaainl the plat form can thus be quickly lowered withoutdanabl'ng the platform .to be speedily lowered into position t receive a new load, while at the same time the p draft-horse is saved the severe strain of either holding the platform or of backing to permit its return to the ground.

It will be readily understood that theprc.

cise details of construction above set out may .be varied within wide limits without departingpfrom the spirit of my invention, aud`that my improvements can be applied to any suitable fornrof.hay-ricliing apparatus.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.jIn a hay-richer, the combination, with a main frame and the elevating-platform, Aof

swinging arms, the rear ends of which are pivotally connected. with and vertically adjustable upon said'main frame at each side thereof, whereby the pivot-points of the rear ends of the said swinging arms can be shifted upward or downward, substantially as described.

2. In a hay-ricker, the combination, with a main frame, an elevating-platform, and' the swinging arms, ofvvertically-adjustablc journal-blocks,\vlie1'eon therear. ends ofsai d swinging arms are mounted, and a suitable catch for locking said journal-blocks in position, substantially as described.

In a hayricker, the combination, with a mainframe and the elevating-platform and swinging arms, of vertically-adjustable journal-blocks, whereon the rear endsof said swi nging arms are mountcd, a catch for determining the position 0I said journal-blocks, and a han-` dle ecccntrieally connected to said catch for releasing the same, substantially as described. yi. In a hay-ricker, the combination,with the main frameliavingfrear inclined standards and the elevatingplatlbrm' and its swinging arms, of brackets attached to said rear standards, said swinging arms being vertically ad- `instable upon said brackets, substantially as described. l

5. In a hay-ricke'r, the combinatiiomwith the mainframe 'having rearinelincd standards,

7. In a hay-richer, the combinatiomwith an elevating platform and its liftin`grope and winding-drum mounted at the basjg-nfith'e' main fram`e,'ot` a frictiondrum connected` with said l winding-drain, a friction-strap passing over said friction-drum, and abrake-lever arranged v to force said frictionstiap 'into normal engagcment with the f rictionldrum, said brakelever. being weighted to overcome the Weight of the platform, whereby the descent of 4the platform may be automatically cheeked, subst'antially as described.

8 In a hay-richer, the con1bination .with an elevating pllatform and its lifting-ropeand winding-drum, ota friction-brake mechanism for controlling the backward movement ofthe winding-drum, a suitable catch for holding said frictionbrake mechanism out of action, and a suitable triparm for throwing said friction-brake mechanism into action, substantially as described.

9. In a hayriclrer,the combinatiomwith an elevatingplatform, its swinging ar1ns,theliftingrepe, and its winding drum, of a brake mechanism, a brake-lever for controlling said mechanism, a catch for holding the brake-lever out of action, and a trip arm for withdrz'm'iugsaid catch, said triparm extending into thepath of one of the swinging arms, sub,- stantially as described.

10. In a 'hay-richel, the combination, with the elevating-platform and its lifting.-rope and Ico wimlingdrum, of a friction-drum connected with said whirling-drum, afrietio-n-strap passing over said friction-drum, a brake-lever for operating said frictionstrap, a catch for en` gagenent .with said lever, `and a trip-arm for throwing said catch out 'of engagement, substantially as described.

' nonnen XVit'nesses;

JorrN'E, limit, HanniT I). Ilmos'.

A. ALBEN. 

